On a recent trip to The Cock, I was speaking to a White male near the coat check area. I’ll get to the importance of his color in a moment. He mentioned how after being at that bar one night, he went to an after-hours party that was “lit”… in Hell’s Kitchen.

The mention of that neighborhood caused an immediate reaction the guy could see on my face. Even though I didn’t realize it, I’ve come to own how my astrological sign(Aries), personal character, and age has made me unapologetic about my facial reactions to what people say even when I don’t know it has happened.

So when the guy questioned the expression on my face, I noticed a Black male on the coat check line immediately look over at us. At that point, I knew that I owed being honest with this White male to myself for not only my own peace of mind. But also for every Black male honest about certain issues within the gay community who needs proof beyond their intuition about the reality of those issues.

Those issues being racism and colorism in gay nightlife, which like many in Chelsea, many Hell’s Kitchen gay venues also reek of. From the staffing of the bartenders and go-go boys, then to the patrons. Look at the ads for these spaces in Get Out! Magazine. In those ads for events/spaces that are supposed to be “all-inclusive”, the guys are never but so dark in their skin tone.

So when I responded to this white male that “Hell’s Kitchen is not kind to people such as myself”, I motioned to the skin on the back of my hand.

To this I saw the Black male nod his head. Pleased that his eavesdropping resulted in a Black male speaking the truth of racism to a White male. Instead of caving to the guilt many white males try to impose upon Black males when they speak of racism they have experienced. Much like the Ryan Christian I mentioned in a TikTok video a few years ago.

To be honest, I wanted to tell this White male, “The reason you found this party to be so ‘lit’ is because you’re white. So you were just what they wanted.”

I refrained from being more exact with my words because I was in a good mood. A great mood, even. And I knew the more precise I got with my words, the more out of that great mood I would have been taken out of.

For this is such a widespread problem that I’m sure the only reason the issues expressed a few years ago with The Q were so highlighted was because it was a Trump-like distraction as to how many other gay spaces in many areas of NYC practice the same racism and colorism. They just do it with less obviousness so they have not been put on blast… yet.